What support will I receive?

As a new governor you will receive an information pack, which includes our induction booklet which gives details about the roles and responsibilities of a governor, how governing bodies work and the support available for governors. In this pack we also include the latest edition of the governor’s newsletter and details of the courses that are currently on offer. We run a comprehensive programme of training courses for Salford governors, details of which can be found on the training courses page of our website.

We suggest that governing bodies appoint a mentor for new governors and this should help you to understand and feel comfortable with your new role. This will be an experienced governor who can answer questions, help you prepare for meetings, offer any explanations of subjects discussed after the meeting and generally provide support when you need it.

The chair of governors and the headteacher are likely to want to meet new governors and they will each be able to provide you with valuable information. In particular, we advise that you should receive:

The Department for Children, Schools and Families Guide to the Law for Governors CD ROM
The school’s Guidelines for Governors (if available)
The school prospectus
The local authority’s (LA) New Governor Induction Booklet
The LA’s governor training programme
Copies of the last three sets of approved governing body minutes
A copy of the latest Record of School Visit report (RoV)
Details of the governing body committees, including their terms of reference
Dates for future governors’ meetings, including committees
Details of how to contact the other governors (if this has been agreed within your governing body)
Details of how to contact the school, including the email address
A calendar of school events
Recent school newsletters

New governors are also recommended to read:

·The School Improvement Plan
·The latest School Evaluation Form (SEF)
·The latest OfSTED report and action plan
·Policy documents relevant to committee membership
·The monitoring and evaluation policy
·The school visits policy

A trip around the school with the headteacher would also be very helpful in order to provide you with the opportunity to ask any questions you may have and to meet with key members of staff.

Please also contact Governor Services with any questions that you may have.

This page was last updated on 3 October 2009